


The Dragon Ridge

by written_in_starlight



Series: The Astral Chronicles [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Blood and Injury, Fantasy, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, poor aiden just has a terrible time really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:08:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 11,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23289790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/written_in_starlight/pseuds/written_in_starlight
Summary: Aiden's been dreading crossing the Dragon Ridge ever since he learned it would be happening. But even Aiden's wariness can't prepare him for what he'll find among the snowy peaks.Meanwhile, Jared and Will face the home they fled years ago, and all the familiar faces and expected attitudes that come with it.
Series: The Astral Chronicles [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1468171





	1. Chapter 1

The day dawned clear and bitingly cold. Aiden figured that he had probably worn himself out from worrying, because he no longer fretted at the thought of crossing the mountains. Instead, he just regarded them with a tired wariness as he helped pack up their camp. The others were similarly subdued around him, only breaking the silence with hushed voices.

Once they were all packed up, Jared clapped his hands together, drawing everybody’s attention. “Alright,” he said. “So last night, Ashe and I decided.”

From Ashe’s snort, Aiden figured the decision had been rather more one-sided than Jared was letting on.

“And since Will and I grew up here and know these parts of the mountains best, we’ll be taking the lead through the mountains. Ideally, we shouldn’t run into any trouble or travelers this close to winter, but…” Jared sighed.

“Always be ready for danger?” Finn finished for him.

“Exactly.” Jared shot his partner a smile. “But we’ll be taking the road of caution if we meet anybody. Don’t draw weapons unless Will or I say so, and don’t say anything. It’ll be best if people don’t know we’re from the lowlands.”

“So what will you say if we do run into somebody, if not that we’re crossing the Dragon Ridge?” Celia fretted.

“Will and I can probably talk our way out of it,” Jared said with a gentle smile. “But then again, anybody with any sense won’t be travelling this time of year. We’ll definitely have to weather out a few of the storms.”

Aiden swallowed down his growing anxiety as Jared glanced across their little group.

“Okay.” He sighed. “Sooner we go, sooner we’re across, eh?”

“Lead the way,” Rose said with a small grin.

But as Jared set off, Aiden found himself dragging his feet to follow, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Aiden started, looking around to find Will there.

_I know._

Aiden sighed. “What’s going to happen?” he asked quietly.

 _I can’t say._ Will’s expression was guarded as he watched his brother. _But things will work out._

“Are you saying that because you know, or are you trying to delude us both into believing that?” Aiden asked dryly.

Will gave him a smile. _Come on. As the other one who knows these mountains, I’m taking up the rear in case we get separated._

“Worried that might happen?” But Aiden started after the others, hurrying to catch up to Celia.

_Always good to plan for the worst. That way we’re prepared no matter what._

“I suppose,” Aiden sighed.

He could only hope it didn’t come to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, starting a new work despite school starting up again? It's more likely than you think :P


	2. Chapter 2

The days in the mountains slowly blurred together. The days were spent trudging through the deep snow of the passes, and during the nights Aiden managed to steal a few hours of sleep from the nightmares that had started plaguing him. As such, it was all Aiden could do just to keep walking and following whoever happened to be in front of him, and all too often found Will nudging him awake as they walked.

Aiden didn’t even realize it was snowing until Jared pointed it out.

“Hey Will.”

Aiden blinked, looking up as Jared called for his twin.

“Fionn’s coming.”

Will sighed heavily, glancing at Aiden.

“’M fine,” Aiden mumbled.

 _Stay awake. I’ll be back soon_.

Aiden nodded.

As he watched Will slip past to go talk to Jared, he was startled by somebody whispering his name in his ear. Aiden whirled around to find nothing there but the snowy landscape they’d just passed. But the wind whipped around him, bringing the echo of a laugh.

 _J_ _ames’s_ laugh.

Aiden’s breath hitched in his throat. All rationality said that there was no way this could be real, that James was still safe at home. But Aiden’s exhaustion threw all that rationality out the window, because it had been _months_ since Aiden had seen James and he was desperately missing his boyfriend.

So with one last glance over his shoulder, Aiden took off to try and find James. After all, he reasoned, the others should be able to easily follow his tracks if need be.

Barely a few steps off the path though, Aiden’s feet slipped out from under him, and he slid down the slope that had been hidden by snow. When he finally came to a stop, Aiden took a moment to catch his breath. He was essentially at a dead end, a small patch of snow quickly falling away into a canyon. And James was nowhere to be found.

“James?” Aiden gingerly got back to his feet, calling out softly.

He could have sworn he heard James respond, calling his name.

“James, are you here?” Aiden took a few steps towards the edge, peering out over the drop. _Or am I just going crazy?_

He took another step towards the edge.

There was a crack under his feet, and Aiden froze, fear flashing through him. Before he could even think of moving again though, the ice under his feet gave way with a deep crack and Aiden fell, too startled to even scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And if there's something to be learned here, it's that I have no idea how paragraphs should work in action-based/single person scenes.  
> Rip. Bc the Dragon Ridge is full of those lol


	3. Chapter 3

“We should keep going as long as there’s daylight,” Ashe argued.

Jared tried to bite back his annoyance, but Ashe should have really known better. “And I’ve told you, Fionn will set in soon enough, and we’ll be lucky to see to the end of our noses if we’re still traveling.”

Ashe opened his mouth to keep arguing.

“I warned you that this would happen,” Jared cut him off. “The storms of the north are fierce, and there’s nothing we can do but wait them out.”

“Until when?” Ashe ground out.

“Until morning,” Jared said. “Fionn storms are typically during the afternoon and evening, so we can travel in the mornings.”

Ashe still hesitated, but they were both suddenly startled by Will collapsing next to them.

“Will!” Jared dropped to his knees. Will was shaking, silver eyes wide and unseeing. “ _Hey hey, it’s okay_.” Jared instinctively slipped back into Otosa. “ _What’s wrong? What are you seeing?_ ”

It wasn’t often that Will had visions while he was awake, so whatever it was must be important.

“ _Will?_ ”

“Jared!” Jared looked around to see Celia clambering back up onto the path. “Jared, Aiden fell!”

Jared’s breath hitched. He knew the mountains, he had to go look for Aiden, but Will…

Finn was at his side in an instant. “I’ve got Will,” he said lowly. “You do what you have to.”

Jared nodded, standing up again. “Look for shelter,” he told Finn.

“We should—”

“Find shelter,” Jared snapped at Ashe. “I’ll look for Aiden.” He bit back his concern that he wouldn’t be able to _find_ Aiden. “Celia?”

“I saw him wandering off, and I followed him,” Celia said in a rush. “He was looking out over a canyon but apparently he was standing on ice and it cracked under him.”

Jared let out a long breath. He should have warned them, he should have… No, no point in worrying about that now. He just had to keep going.

“Okay. Stay with the others,” he told her. “I’ll catch up.”

“Jared—” Celia’s dark eyes were worried.

“I’ll be fine,” Jared soothed her. “I can catch up no problem.”

Celia hesitantly nodded. “Stay safe.”

“Of course.” Jared flashed her a smile before following her and Aiden’s tracks off the path.


	4. Chapter 4

Loivissa sighed. It had been a week already, and her guest still had not made their presence known. Admittedly, considering Ragnor, their hesitance was justified, but that had never stopped them before.

So while Ragnor was out, Loivissa slipped into the cave that was hers and hers alone. With a soft burst of fire, the moss on the wall lit up the interior. Loivissa could see the remains of a fire, and curled up in the corner was Io.

At the sudden light, Io’s golden eyes fluttered open. “Oh, Lovi!” Io scrambled upright. “I swear I was going to find you, it’s just—”

Loivissa chuckled, settling down nearby. _You know I don’t mind your visits little Andrade._

“But Ragnor does.” But Io was smiling, standing and moving away from the fire that now consumed the walls.

Loivissa gave him an unamused stare. _Tell me little Andrade, what brings you here in the dead of winter?_

Io shivered. “Visions. What else Lovi, besides you?”

_Your sister. Your siblings._

“Calipsa is still in the palace, and Yavin and Europa are safely locked up in the south. But that’s beside the point.”

Loivissa knew how much Europa had hurt Io, which was why she liked to double check that Europa was still locked away.

_So what are your visions about, little Andrade?_

“A boy.”

Loivissa recognized that look. _One you care for._

Io scowled. “For the good of Astral.”

Loivissa gave Io a doubtful look.

“Any more is unimportant Lovi, but he is important to the humans of Astral.”

 _Very well._ Loivissa would let the topic drop for now. _But what does that have to do with the Dragon Ridge?_

Io began to speak, then cut off with a soft curse, gold eyes going wide. “Lovi, please, we have to hurry if we’re going to save him. I promise I’ll explain soon.”

_What do you need from me?_

“We have to rescue him.”

_You do realize what you’re asking of me, little Andrade?_

“Please. You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

Loivissa sighed. She couldn’t resist that earnest face. _Very well._ She stood, stretching out her wings. _But we must hurry. Ragnor may be gone for a while, but it’s better not to tempt fate._

Io nodded, scrambling onto Loivissa’s back as she crouched.

Making it out of the caves was the easy part. After all, Io could hide behind magic, and nobody would question where Loivissa, queen of the dragons, was going. It was once they were out and Loivissa had taken to the snowy skies that she ran into a problem.

_Where are we going Io?_

“The Titus River Valley.” Io was barely audible over the rushing air.

 _Io…_ Loivissa was starting to paint a picture of what had happened to this boy.

“I know Lovi. Please.”

Loivissa continued flying, through the thickening snow. The first storm of winter was settling in. Hopefully it wouldn’t take long to find the boy.

As Loivissa dove into the canyon and flew over the frozen river, she felt Io sit up on her back, looking intently. Loivissa smelled the blood long before she could see him, but she knew when Io had spotted him.

“Lovi!”

 _I_ _see._

Loivissa settled on the banks of the Titus, and Io was jumping from her back almost before she touched the ground. All Loivissa could see was a spot of red in the snow, exacerbated by Io’s long red hair fluttering in the wind as Io knelt.

_Little Andrade._

“He’s alive.” Io cradled the fallen boy. “He’s alive, I just need to—I’ll heal him enough so he can make it back up to Stormking, and then I can help him more there.”

_Shouldn’t you return him to his people?_

“Not yet.” Loivissa caught sight of Io brushing back the boy’s blond hair. “Not yet.” Io’s voice was quiet, gentle, as the two of them were enveloped in Io’s rust-colored magic.

Loivissa just moved closer, arching a wing over the two to protect them from the storm that was slowly worsening.


	5. Chapter 5

Jared saw flickering firelight, and hurried towards the mouth of the cave. He’d always had an acute awareness of Will’s approximate location since they were little, but it was still a relief to find them through this storm.

As he slipped into the cave, four pairs of eyes swung around to greet him. After a glance, Celia turned back to Will, but Ashe strode across the cave. “Any luck?”

Jared shook his head, starting to unwind his scarf. He had stayed out until the snow had gotten too thick to see through, trying to find a way down into the valley, to Aiden. But trying to scale the cliff would be suicide even in the best weather, and he couldn’t see far enough down to discern Aiden’s fate. Jared didn’t have high hopes though.

“Then what do we do now?” Ashe’s voice was tense.

“I don’t know.” Jared sighed, rubbing at his eyes. “I don’t know. I guess tomorrow I can go back out and try and get down again, but I don’t think it’s going to happen—”

“ _No_.” Jared whirled around at the word, spoken in Otosa. Will was standing, despite all of Celia’s attempts to get him to lay down again.

“ _What do you mean?_ ” Jared hurried to his twin’s side.

“ _No. We—we have to—_ ” Will whimpered.

“ _Shh, come on, lay down again._ ” Will’s legs gave out on him, and Jared helped him back down to the ground. “ _What did you see?_ ”

“ _We have to keep going_.”

Jared frowned. “ _But Aiden—_ ”

“ _We have to keep going, or else we’ll lose him!_ ” Will was growing frantic.

“ _Okay, okay_ ,” Jared soothed. “ _We’ll head out in the morning like planned then, okay?_ ”

Will frowned.

“ _Like planned, unless something comes along to change that plan?_ ” Jared suggested.

Finally, Will nodded.

“ _Okay._ ” Jared smoothed back Will’s hair. “ _Get some rest Will. I’m going to go talk to Ashe and the others._ ”

“ _Jared_ ,” Will whimpered.

“ _Shh, I won’t be far, I promise._ ”

Will reluctantly let go of Jared’s hand.

Jared glanced at Celia. “Thanks,” he murmured.

“Of course.” Celia still looked concerned, but she mustered up a smile for him.

With a sigh, Jared stood and turned to face Ashe again. “Will says we have to keep going.”

Rose frowned. “But—”

“I know,” Jared anticipated her protest. “But he said we have to keep going, or else we’re going to lose Aiden.”

“Meaning we’ll meet up with him somewhere further along if we keep going?” Finn piped in.

“I’d assume something along those lines, yes.”

“Well,” Ashe sighed. “If he’s sure then.”

“He is.” Jared met Ashe’s eye steadily. “And I believe him.”

“Very well.” Ashe glanced at the others. “Nothing else to do but get ready to move again tomorrow,” he said wearily. “Get some rest.”

Jared nodded, already returning to Will’s side. He had realized exactly where they were in the mountains, and was already planning on waking up before anybody else for a quick visit.


	6. Chapter 6

It was late before Loivissa could slip away to check on her two secret guests. Both were sleeping peacefully when Loivissa entered her cave, but Io stirred.

“Lovi?”

 _Yes little Andrade_. The fire was starting to dim, and Loivissa breathed new life into the flames, the cave warming more as she did so.

Io groaned and sat up.

 _You exhausted yourself,_ Loivissa noted.

“I did what was necessary.” But there were dark circles under Io’s eyes.

_You should rest. I merely came by to check on you two._

Io sighed. “He’ll be alright. He’ll live.” Golden eyes were soft as they watched the blond boy sleep.

_And yourself?_

“You know me Lovi. I’ll live.”

Loivissa frowned.

“I’ll always live.”

_That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of yourself._

Io sighed.

_Don’t make me contact Calipsa._

“How would you do that?” But the ghost of a smile touched Io’s lips.

 _I_ _will do what it takes, if it means you’re happy and well._

Io let out a soft laugh. “You truly are a strange dragon Lovi.”

_I learned well from my mother._

“Oh, I’m aware.” Io sighed, settling back down in the nest of blankets. “Alright. I’ll go back to sleep Lovi. Will that make you happy?”

 _Yes._ Loivissa nuzzled Io. _Sleep well little Andrade._

“You too.” Io’s gold eyes were already fluttering shut, voice dropping with sleepiness.

Loivissa partially doused the fire, and left the two to their dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I figured I might as well give some context, in case whoever reads this gets confused (better late than never?) (I'll probably pick this habit up for later chapters and works too lol)
> 
> A little explanation of Io: All Aiden knows is their name, and that they're working "For the good of Astral", and that their mother would be disappointed if they didn't. That's about everything that should be explained by this point. Also this is the first time the other Andrade siblings are mentioned, so not missing much there lol
> 
> In other works thus far, Rose and Co consists of Ashe, Rose, Finn, Jared, and Will (and Aiden when he pops up). So where did Celia come from and why? So Rose and Co were originally to search for the lost princess and Aiden, and when they found Aiden and had a way to contact the lost princess, the resistance decided to move forward and attack Maddox in the Eastern Kindom (they're currently in the Western Kingdom). For reasons, they have to split, and Rose and Co decide to go as far north as possible to try and gather more support. The leaders of the resistance decide they need an actual more-diplomatic person to go with, and bam, Celia joins the party!
> 
> And tbh. If you're reading this and have questions. Please ask lol. If it's about something that already happened in-universe I'd be happy to explain wtf is going on (if it's in the future... maybe not lol). But tbh, this is mostly to try and keep myself accountable and try and finish writing the whole damn thing lol
> 
> (If you're reading this, I appreciate you. Seriously)


	7. Chapter 7

When Will woke the next morning, it was to find Jared gone, his things already packed neatly away. Will had a sneaking suspicion he knew where his twin was, and so reluctantly left behind his warm cocoon of blankets to prepare to brave the cold outside.

Finn sat at the mouth of the cave, still on guard duty. “Mornin,” he greeted. “Feeling better?”

Will nodded, wrapping his scarf around his face as the cold air nipped at his nose. _Jared?_

“Yeah, I saw him leave,” Finn said. “He headed out maybe ten, fifteen minutes ago. He said he wouldn’t be long, so I didn’t question him.”

Will nodded.

“You know where he went?”

_I think so._

“Alright. Just be back before Ashe wakes up.”

_Of course_.

Jared wasn’t terribly hard to follow, not with the freshly fallen snow and the fact he hadn’t tried to cover up his tracks. It wasn’t too long before Will had followed him to a familiar grove of trees.

Despite the snow being cleared away and Will making little noise as he approached, Jared still sat back, glancing around. Will doubted he was surprised.

“ _I’m sorry_ ,” Jared murmured.

_I_ _t’s alright,_ Will replied, also in Otosa. _Finn and I are the only other ones awake. You haven’t been here that long._

Jared let out a soft huff of laughter. “ _I suppose that’s good_ ,” he said.

Will kept his eyes on his brother as he knelt beside him. It had become a habit of his, he supposed, to be more concerned with the living than the dead. Especially if one of the living was Jared.

Jared sighed softly. “ _It doesn’t feel right_ ,” he admitted. “ _For Mom and Bartholomew to not be here with him_.”

_But what can we do?_

“ _I don’t know_.” Jared’s fingers dug into the ground. The tough vegetation that lived under the snow had grown back in the past eight years, almost covering the grave the twins now knelt on. Their father had been lucky, in a way, to die in Malthea and be buried here. The twins didn’t know where their mother and uncle might lie, what the soldiers had done while Jared and Will fled.

_Jared—_

Jared reached out, and Will gladly gave him his hand. He knew his brother still felt so guilty for leaving them behind.

“ _Hold on_.” Jared’s free hand glowed green with his magic, and Will closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, their father’s headstone had been joined by two more, still twinkling with emerald magic as the three formed a triangle. Will couldn’t read the inscriptions on the new two, but he had a feeling he knew.

“ _There_.” Will glanced at his twin to see tears streaking his cheeks. “ _At least we tried. And if anybody comes, they’ll know_.” Jared was fiercely determined, under his slight shaking. “ _They’ll know that Mom and Bartholomew died so we could_ live.”

_And fight._ Will squeezed Jared’s hand.

“ _Yeah_.”

The two stayed there for a few long minutes, the air around them slowly brightening as the sun rose higher in the sky.

_Jared,_ Will started, _we should probably—_

There was a crack behind them, and Jared leapt to his feet, Will just a half-step behind. They quickly took cover behind a nearby tree, Jared tugging Will close as his free hand strayed to the daggers in his belt.

Will stilled his hand. Jared shot him a sharp look, but ultimately, he trusted Will’s judgement. Instead, they both flickered with green magic for a moment before fading from view.

Will peered around the tree, eyes fixed on the cloaked figure that had appeared in the grove. They made no sign of having noticed the twins’ flight, instead continuing on past their hiding spot.

_Somebody from Malthea?_ Jared asked silently.

_I would assume so. Who else would know about this place?_

_And who else would care?_ Jared added bitterly.

Will shot his twin a deadpan look, though it was mostly lost due to their invisibility.

Once the figure disappeared deeper into the grove, Will took a step back from Jared. _Let’s go._

_We’ll have to warn them._

_We’ll figure it out._ Will squeezed Jared’s hand again.

Jared took a deep breath. _Okay._

And the twins stole out of the grove, back to their friends to warn them.


	8. Chapter 8

Mishal had had an uneasy feeling ever since she entered the grove, but she just shook it off at being so close to Malthea once again. But she kept her ears open as she paid her respects to her father, and other than the usual sounds, nothing stood out as odd to her.

Mishal sighed, standing again. She never could stay long, not wanting to worry her mother and now with the added trouble of needing to beat Fionn back home. But as she was leaving the grove, something caught her eye. Behind Simon’s headstone, creating a triangle with the original, were two new headstones.

Mishal crouched to inspect them. One for Alexandra, one for Bartholomew. Both stained a faint green.

Mishal’s breath caught in her throat. There was only one person she knew that would have done this, that left all the elemental magic he did stained emerald, but she hardly dared hope that he was still alive after all these years. After all, if Alexandra and Bartholomew were dead, how could they have survived?

But as Mishal hurried out of the grove, she noticed something else she had missed on her way here; two distinct sets of footprints making their way to and from the grove, leading away from Malthea.

Heart in her throat, Mishal started following the tracks, hoping against hope that she would find them alive at the end.


	9. Chapter 9

Io had been keeping an eye on Aiden, but between one glance and the next, he just disappeared. Io cursed, but a quick glance around the cave didn’t reveal the blond mage. “Aiden?” Io didn’t dare call too loudly, for fear of alerting Ragnor, but Aiden needed to be found. “Where are you Aiden?”

There was a clatter from the back of the cave, where Io knew Loivissa kept the eggs she saved.

“Aiden?”

As Io approached, Aiden appeared through the dimness, kneeling on the ground.

“There you are.” Io crouched by him. “What are you doing up sweet prince? I’m sure you’re still not feeling well.” Healing had never been Io’s strong suit, despite much practice, and Aiden likely still had a ways to go for recovery.

“I—Something’s calling me.” Aiden’s voice was slurred, his blue and gold eyes barely focusing on Io.

“Sweet prince, they can wait—”

“No!” Aiden jerked away from Io, slamming into the wall. “No, I—I can’t, I have—have to—” Aiden was shaking from head to foot.

“Sweet prince.” Io took Aiden’s hand, slowly moving to support the trembling boy. “Are you sure it can’t wait?”

Aiden shook his head. “What’s going on?” he whimpered.

Io had a suspicion, but it was never good to voice them. “Who is calling you?”

“I don’t know,” Aiden panted. “I—I think I heard the same voice before I—before I fell, and I thought it was James but—but it’s not James.” Aiden started to cry, and Io supported him as they both sank to the floor. “I want James,” Aiden cried. “And I—and I think I fucked up and I can’t—I can’t—”

“Shh,” Io soothed. Calipsa would be far better at this, more used to humans and how to take care of them, but Calipsa was still in the palace, and Io was the only one who could help Aiden right now. “Take a moment sweet prince. Just breathe. And then we can find whoever is calling you, and you can go back to your rest.”

Aiden took a deep, shuddering breath.

“That’s it.”

“I don’t know what they want,” Aiden whispered.

“Then we’ll find out together,” Io promised. “I’ll protect you sweet prince, at least until you’re back on your feet again.”

Aiden nodded, taking a few more shaky breaths.

Once his shaking had died down, Io took his hands again. “Ready to go find out what’s calling you?”

Aiden slowly nodded, letting Io tug him to his feet.

“You’ll have to lead the way sweet prince, I can’t hear them.”

“You… don’t think I’m crazy, do you?” Aiden asked hesitantly.

“No,” Io soothed. “There are plenty of things in this world that only speak to one person.”

“Okay.” Aiden took a few steps towards the egg cache, blinking as if seeing them for the first time. “Io, what are all these doing here?” Aiden hesitantly reached out.

Io hissed, and Aiden withdrew his hand, looking at Io in concern. “I’m sorry,” Io apologized. “Just, be careful sweet prince. These are dragon eggs.”

“Oh.” Aiden still reached out, running his fingers gently over an egg that looked like it was made of rubies and silver.

“Loivissa, the dragon whose cave we’re in, she saves the eggs that never hatch,” Io continued the explanation. “Because legend has it that long ago, dragons and humans lived side by side. And that—”

With a loud crack, the red and silver egg practically exploded open, sending a tiny dragon tumbling. Aiden barely caught the hatchling in time, his blue and gold eyes wide.

“And that some eggs would only hatch for humans,” Io finished, making sure Aiden was alright. Other than being shaken, Io could see no injury that hadn’t been there before. “And that was likely what was calling to you, sweet prince.”

“Oh.” Aiden was shaking again, just slightly.

“Now will you rest?”

“Io, what just _happened_?”

“We can discuss it more once you’ve rested, sweet prince.”

“I—you _promise_?”

“Of course. Don’t forget the hatchling. They’re yours now.”

The little dragon chirped in Aiden’s palms.

“She’s so _tiny_.”

Io hummed in agreement, starting to guide Aiden back towards his blankets.

Aiden let out a small laugh, a smile finally gracing his features, and Io thought that the sight was probably the most beautiful in all of Astral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was fun lol. I don't think I've actually written from Io's perspective ever, so it was a fun challenge due to how I like to write Io for the ambiguity


	10. Chapter 10

Jared forced himself to breathe steadily, idly twirling his dagger between his fingers. The other person’s path had taken them right by the cave where Jared and the others had spent the night, so Jared’s job now was to wait, see if they came back, and stall for as much time as the others needed. Finn was just out of sight, prepared to step in if Jared indicated he needed help.

Finally, a figure appeared through the snow. Jared’s dagger stilled, and he just knew Finn was readying for a fight.

Jared sheathed his dagger. No bloodshed until necessary.

“ _Who are you?_ ” the figure called as they drew near, and Jared realized with a start that it was a girl around his age.

“ _Just a traveler_ ,” Jared replied cautiously.

“ _Don’t play games with me. You were at the cemetery._ ”

“ _So were you_.”

The girl stopped, well out of Jared’s reach. “ _You’re from Malthea_.”

“ _Once upon a time_.” Jared didn’t want to give away too much, in case this girl worked with Maddox’s soldiers. Some in their village had sold themselves out, promising to serve Maddox in exchange for supposed safety. “ _As are you_.”

“ _Not anymore. Not for a long time._ ” What little Jared could see of the girl’s face was furrowed in a frown. “ _And you left Malthea for the lowlands._ ”

Jared blinked.

“ _I can hear it in your voice. You speak with a trace of Common._ ” The girl spat the last word. Her tone had gone from hopeful to wary, bordering on disgust.

“ _So what?_ ” Jared’s hand lightly brushed against his dagger.

“ _How dare you come back here when you betrayed us!”_ the girl snarled.

“ _Who said anything about betrayal?_ ”

“ _The only ones who left were with Maddox. The soldiers killed everybody else who tried._ ”

“ _Perhaps not all. Maybe a few got away, but the soldiers didn’t want those who remained to have hope that it was possible_.”

“ _Don’t speak like you have any idea what they did to those of us who didn’t betray us,_ ” the girl spat.

“ _I did not betray you. I would never betray the mountains._ ”

But the girl drew her sword, obviously on the verge of attacking. Jared knew Finn was ready to leap out and take the fight for Jared, but as the girl rushed him, he yelled, “Let me handle it!” Finn, he knew, would take over if he thought Jared was in any danger, but he wouldn’t intervene until then.

Jared dodged the first swing, drawing his dagger to block the second, and called up his magic. Ice had been the first element he’d ever learned in these frozen mountains, and the magic still came easily from his fingertips.

The girl made to step towards Jared, only to find her feet frozen to the ground. Jared used her moment of distraction to freeze her further, immobilizing her in ice.

“ _Listen,_ ” Jared hissed. “ _I don’t want to hurt you. We’re on the same side here._ ”

The girl spat in his face.

“ _Seriously!_ ”

They were interrupted by somebody calling Jared’s name. With one last check that she couldn’t attack if he turned his back, Jared turned to see Will running towards them. Jared blinked. Twice now in two days… He wasn’t sure if that meant Will was actually regaining use of his voice, or if things were just serious enough to necessitate it.

Behind him, the girl gasped. “ _Jared?_ ”

“ _Yes?_ ” There was no point in trying to keep his name from her now.

“ _Jared Alexander Makrides?_ ”

“ _I was the only Jared in Malthea_ ,” Jared said dryly.

“ _They told us you were dead._ ”

“ _And I’ve been telling you, the soldiers lied to you. At least about Will and I._ ” Jared took a few steps back. “ _I’m sorry. I’ll let you go once we’re far enough away._ ”

“ _Wait, Jared!_ ” the girl said frantically.

Will, who had drawn level with Jared by now, approached the girl and pulled off her goggles and mask. Jared found himself staring into pale blue eyes, and as he looked down, he saw the familiar scar at the corner of her lip. One he’d given her himself, when they were too young to know better.

Jared breathed a curse. “ _Mishal?_ ”


	11. Chapter 11

Aiden woke to somebody jabbing him insistently in the ribs. Aiden groaned, rolling away from the assault. “What do you want James?” he mumbled.

Somebody laughed. “Not James.”

Aiden opened his eyes. Io was nearby, golden eyes full of amusement. “Io?”

“Yes sweet prince. Sorry to disappoint.”

Aiden slowly blinked. “What… happened?”

“Do you need the whole story?”

Aiden carefully sat up. “I… fell. I don’t even remember hitting the ground.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Io said, the words serious despite the light tone.

“So where am I now? Why are you here?”

Something slammed into his ribs, and Aiden let out a little _oof_ as the wind was driven out of him. Sitting in his lap, looking positively petulant, was—

“Io, why is there a _baby dragon_ in my lap?” Aiden hesitated. “At least I’m assuming she’s a baby.”

“She hatched for you.”

Aiden took a deep breath. “Io Andrade, I swear to god, give me the whole damn story _now_ because I’m starting to think I’ve reached my limit and this is all a _really convincing_ fever dream.”

“Don’t worry sweet prince, I can promise you you’re awake.” Io crouched in front of Aiden, handing him a bowl. “I will explain while you eat.” Aiden sighed, but took the bowl and hesitantly started eating.

The dragon in Aiden’s lap chirped, trying to squirm her way up into his food, and Io pulled her away with a laugh. “You’ll have to wait for Lovi little one, I’m afraid neither of us know what baby dragons eat.”

Aiden stared pointedly at Io, who settled down across from Aiden, still holding the baby dragon securely.

“So you remember your fall.”

Aiden nodded.

“I had a vision,” Io said, “of you, here in the mountains, and I knew I had to be here to help. So I enlisted Lovi’s help to find you and bring you here to recover.”

“Why not bring me back to Ashe and Rose and the others?” Aiden asked. “And who’s Lovi?”

Aiden was startled by a laugh, telepathic like Will’s. _My name is Loivissa._

From the shadows emerged an enormous dragon, scales glinting like amethysts in the low firelight. Yup, the little red and silver one squirming in Io’s lap was _definitely_ a baby.

 _Io likes calling me Lovi though_. Loivissa settled down nearby, and with a soft huff breathed fire onto the walls. The fire raced along the walls, slowly illuminating the cave more. _And you are the boy Io saved._

“Um—yes.” Aiden didn’t quite know how he was supposed to interact with this dragon. “I—I’m Aiden.”

 _Pleased to meet you_. Loivissa bowed her head slightly.

“Hey Lovi,” Io started. “What do baby dragons eat?”

Loivissa looked down, and her deep blue eyes widened. _One of the eggs hatched?_

“For him.” Io was wearing a satisfied grin.

Loivissa’s gaze swung over to Aiden, who fidgeted under her stare. _Your palm, child._

Aiden held out his left hand, the star pendant winking in his palm.

 _The other one._ Loivissa sounded faintly amused.

Aiden blinked, but swapped hands. To his surprise, there was a deep cut across his palm that he did _not_ remember getting.

Loivissa pressed her nose to his hand. _She’s bonded to you_. Before Aiden could respond, Loivissa turned back to Io. _I will take the hatchling and feed her._ She bent down and picked up the baby dragon by the nape of her neck. The baby squeaked, twisting around, but Loivissa’s grip was firm as she stood again and left.

Aiden focused on Io again. “So where are we exactly, and why didn’t you just bring me back to Ashe and Rose and the others?”

“In part because I had a feeling I should bring you here, Loivissa’s home,” Io said, “which turned out to be for the little hatchling. And also because I knew that if I brought you back, your friends may have tried to move on before you were healed.”

Aiden frowned.

“They have their own path to take,” Io said softly. “This is yours, sweet prince. You will see them again.”

“When?”

“Once you are recovered,” Io replied. “And once the storms clear. There is no use bringing you back to uncertain circumstances.”

“Uncertain circumstances?” Aiden raised an eyebrow.

“I do not see everything.” The corner of Io’s mouth twitched in amusement. “Just the important things.”

“Like me falling from the side of a mountain.” The words left a sour taste in Aiden’s mouth.

“Exactly.” But apparently Io had picked up on Aiden’s discomfort with the topic. “You should rest sweet prince.”

“I’m not tired.” Aiden set his empty bowl aside, stubbornly crossing his arms.

“Perhaps not, but the fact of the matter is that you still need to recover,” Io said. “I did my best to heal you, but unfortunately my best is not very good. You still have some healing to do on your own.”

Aiden still frowned.

“Rest for now, and when Loivissa returns we can talk more,” Io bargained.

Aiden sighed, reluctantly falling back into his blankets. “Fine,” he gave in.

As Io retrieved the bowl and set about doing whatever, Aiden found his mind wandering unbidden to James. He could only hope, if his absence had been noted, that James was doing alright.


	12. Chapter 12

As soon as Mishal was free from the ice, she found herself in Jared’s arms, the boy babbling non-stop. “ _What are you doing here? I thought you were in Althaan? Why are you so close to Malthea again? Is everything alright?_ ”

 _Jared, you’re rambling,_ Will cut in, his silver eyes sparkling with amusement.

“ _I—sorry._ ” Jared let go of Mishal. “ _It’s just been so long, and I have so many questions._ ”

 _And not much time,_ Will said with a pointed look.

“ _You’re right_.” Jared shook his head.

Mishal crossed her arms. “ _And why are you two trying to cross the Dragon Ridge in the middle of winter?_ ”

“ _I—Mishal, don’t look at us like that!_ ” Jared protested.

“ _Fionn just started! Are you crazy?_ ”

 _We wish the timing had worked out better,_ Will said. _But we need to get to the Eastern Kingdom._

“ _Why? What in Astral is going on?_ ”

They were interrupted by a figure appearing from the snow. Mishal hissed, diving for her sword that she had dropped in the confusion.

 _No, Mishal, it’s okay!_ Will hurried to stop her. Jared was currently talking to the boy in Common, and with an easy shrug, the boy took his hand off the hilt of the sword on his belt. _He’s with us._

“ _Why are you bringing strangers across the Dragon Ridge?_ ” Mishal narrowed her eyes at Will.

“ _It’s a long story._ ” Jared replied for his brother. “ _And Will’s right, we don’t have enough time. We need to get across as soon as possible—_ ”

“ _And do you really expect to be travelling during Fionn?_ ”

Jared flushed. “ _For a few days more, at least._ ”

“ _And then what?_ ”

Jared sighed. “ _We find a place to stay until Fionn wears himself out. We have to keep going Mishal._ ”

“ _Or_ ,” Mishal said, “ _you come to Althaan with me and weather out Fionn. Mama would love to see you two again._ ”

Jared glanced at Will. “ _This is what you were hesitating about?_ ”

_I recall no such thing._

“ _Well?_ ”

_Good luck convincing Ashe. But I think it would be preferable to finding a cave and waiting out Fionn there._

Jared sighed, then turned to the boy and asked something in Common. The boy paused, then slowly nodded as he answered.

“ _Okay_.” Jared turned back to Mishal. “ _We have to check with the rest of our group, but, tentatively, we’ll come to Althaan with you_.”

“ _And then you can tell me all about what really happened,_ ” Mishal said.

_Of course._


	13. Chapter 13

James slowly opened his eyes. The living room was dark except for the glow of the Christmas tree, meaning he wasn’t alone in being awake at whatever hour it was. James slowly uncurled from the couch, his joints protesting the semi-awkward sleeping position he’d subjected them to. At some point, somebody had draped a blanket over him. James didn’t recall it happening.

Carefully setting the blanket aside, James stood up. At the end of the hallway, he could see light shining from under his parents’ bedroom door, and as he drew nearer, he started to hear the murmur of voices.

James hesitated just outside of their door. _They would have woken me if they found him, right? They wouldn’t just leave me asleep if Aiden had been found?_

James quietly knocked on the door. The voices ceased for a moment, then his father called, “Come in.”

James opened the door, but didn’t venture further than the doorframe. He could see even from here the tiredness in his father’s face, the stress and worry in his mother’s eyes. But he had to ask.

“Aiden?”

James’s father shook his head. “I’m sorry James,” he admitted, “but we couldn’t find him. His tracks just stopped, and we kept looking for hours, but there was no sign of him.” James nodded, swallowing thickly past the lump in his throat.

“James.” His mother crossed the room and brushed his hair back, looking him in the eye. “I want you to promise me you won’t go looking for him.”

James pulled away from her. “Mom, I want to help find him! Aiden’s my—” James choked on the word. It was all so new, and he _technically_ hadn’t confirmed with Aiden that they were dating, and _now wasn’t the time_. “Aiden’s my friend,” he finished. “Please, I can’t just sit around knowing I could be helping.”

“James, your mother is right,” his father said. “Let the adults handle it, okay?”

 _I_ _already let you handle it_. James bit back the scathing reply. His father had tried, he didn’t deserve that vitriol.

“Please James,” his mother pleaded. “I already lost you and Tom down there once. I don’t know if I could handle losing you again.”

James took a deep breath. He recognized a losing battle with his parents when he saw one. “Fine. I won’t go down the hill to look for Aiden.” He was lying through his teeth.

But his mother sighed in relief, pulling him close to kiss the top of his head. “I just want you to be safe James.”

“I know.” _And I want Aiden to be safe._ “I’m going to bed now.”

“Somewhere other than the couch I’d presume?” James recognized his father’s gentle teasing, an attempt at normalcy.

“Yeah, my own bed this time,” he said.

“Good. Goodnight James.”

“Night Dad. Night Mom.”

James’s mother held him back for one more kiss. “Goodnight.”

James made his escape back to the living room. As he looked up the stairs, he found himself under watchful brown eyes.

“How long have you been listening in?” James climbed the stairs.

“Just since I heard you wandering around down here.”

“So the whole time,” James said dryly, sitting a step below her. “Why are you awake Lex?”

Alexis blinked at James. “We haven’t talked to Tom in a while.”

“I know,” James said. “But you haven’t answered my question Lexi.”

“You and Mom reminded me of it,” Alexis said. “’Specially cause he always calls me Lex.”

James nudged her leg. “Why are you still up?” he asked again.

Alexis shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. I could ask the same of you.”

“It was only a matter of time before I woke up from the couch,” James grumbled, still sore from the awkward sleeping position. “You all just left me there?”

“Mom said you’d only wear yourself out with worry if you were awake.” James scowled at the accuracy. “She did give you a blanket though.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” James said sarcastically.

“Mean.” Alexis nudged him with her knee.

James leaned back on the staircase, staring at the ceiling. “You sleepy?”

“Nope.”

“What time is it?”

“About 11.”

The time conversion was almost natural to James at this point. “So only 9-ish where Tom is. Wanna see if he’s up and available to talk?”

“Sure.”

James pushed himself to his feet, Alexis close behind him. Maybe, just maybe, Tom could give him the answers his mother couldn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to teenage James's first appearance on AO3 lol. But since James def has some appearances before now, I'll explain some of the backstory to clear up some stuff.
> 
> When James first noticed that Aiden was gone, he started following Aiden's footprints down the hill in his backyard. His mom stopped him before he could get too far, mentioning that he and Tom had gotten lost down there when they were little. James doesn't remember any of that, so he later asks his mother what happened. All she knows is that they went missing for a week, then reappeared a little beat up and refusing to say what had happened. 
> 
> So who is Tom? That has yet to be explained in universe... but we'll see more of him coming up :)


	14. Chapter 14

Finn nudged Jared. “So,” he said, glad his scarf was hiding the smirk he couldn’t keep back. “You and Mishal, hm?”

Said girl was a few steps ahead of them, leading the way to Althaan, where she lived.

Jared blinked at Finn. “Yeah,” he said. “We were friends when we were kids, I told you guys this already.”

“Mhm. And now?”

“Finn, what in Astral are you on about?” Jared asked.

Finn just grinned, slowly raising his eyebrows.

After a moment, Jared’s eyes widened in understanding. “Finn!” He shoved at Finn, who started cackling. “No! We’re just _friends_.” He stressed the last word.

“Oh yeah. Friends like you and Celia?”

“You know full well that’s completely different!” Jared hissed.

Mishal glanced back, her eyebrow raised, and asked Jared something in Otosa. He replied in kind, still glaring at Finn. But Finn could recognize the tells that he wasn’t truly annoyed with the teasing, and moreover it seemed to have lifted the dark cloud he’d had hanging over him all morning. All in all, a win in Finn’s books.

Jared said something sharply in Otosa, and Mishal gave him a scandalized look.

“Just because I don’t understand doesn’t mean I don’t know you’re cussing me out,” Finn snickered.

“Good.”

Before Finn could say any more, they rounded a bend in the path, and Finn stopped in his tracks. The village now before him was so well sheltered by the mountains that it was practically invisible until you stumbled into it, similar to how Finn just had.

Mishal glanced back. “Follow me,” she said, and Finn was surprised to hear her speak in Common. “Not far.”

With a glance, Finn saw he wasn’t the only one who had stopped short.

Jared asked Mishal a question, and Mishal laughed as she responded, holding her fingers close together. Finn didn’t need to know Otosa to understand them; Mishal knew just a little bit of Common, probably not even enough to scrape by.

They followed Mishal through the village, and Finn noted that it appeared empty. He nudged Jared. “Where is everybody?” The lack of life made Finn uneasy, and he instinctively reached for his sword.

“Just inside.” Jared glanced at the sky. “Preparing for Fionn. We made good time, we’ll just miss him.” Finn followed Jared’s gaze to see that the sky had turned grey with clouds during their journey, and as Finn watched, he caught sight of a few flakes of snow drifting down.

Mishal didn’t even pause when they reached her house, instead bounding inside, calling out to her mother inside.

Ashe grabbed Finn before he could follow. “Needless to say, but we should be careful,” he warned. “Maddox’s men could be anywhere.”

_Not in Althaan._ Will approached. _Mishal and her mother wouldn’t be here if they were in any danger. Not after what happened in our hometown._ And Will brushed past Ashe and Finn without another word.

Finn pulled his arm out of Ashe’s grip. “Jared and Will trust her,” he said lowly. “And they know better than anybody else about the dangers in these mountains, so I trust their judgement.”

“You’ll always trust Jared.”

“Because that trust has saved my skin more than once,” Finn retorted. “So at the very least, it is well deserved.”

“Come on Ashe,” Rose cut in. “Let’s just go in. At the very least, it can’t hurt to warm up.”

Ashe sighed, but Finn didn’t wait for him to speak again. Rose had inadvertently reminded Finn of how _cold_ he was.

As Celia closed the door behind them, a woman with Mishal’s pale blue eyes appeared around a corner. She stopped with a gasp, and Jared spoke quietly. That was apparently all it took, as the woman quickly closed the distance between them, speaking rapidly in Otosa as she pulled Jared into her arms.

Finn watched as the woman and Jared spoke with the occasional pause where Finn assumed Will was adding his input, then to his surprise, she turned to them. “Friends?” Her accent was thick as she spoke. “Jared, Will, friends?”

Finn decided to use his limited knowledge of Otosa as he answered, “ _Yes._ ”

The woman gasped, then pulled Finn into a hug, speaking quickly in Otosa again. Jared interpreted Finn’s silent cry for help and intervened with a laugh as he likely explained how Finn didn’t actually know Otosa.

But Finn understood Jared’s curious glance, and broke out one of the few phrases he had learned. “ _Will taught me_.” Jared rolled his eyes and Will smirked.

As the woman continued talking to the twins, Jared occasionally nodding, Finn nudged him. Jared glanced over, then his eyes widened. “Oh, right—” He snapped his fingers, and suddenly it sounded like the woman was speaking perfect Common.

“—and of course, you are welcome here for as long as you need,” the woman was saying.

“Thank you Aunty,” Jared said, back in Common. “Probably through Fionn, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Jared Alexander Makrides, it will never be too much trouble to have you and your brother in my house,” the woman said, her tone fond.

Jared grinned sheepishly. “Oh, Aunty, I did cast a translation spell at the tail end there, so we can all understand each other, at least for a while.”

“So much like your uncle,” the woman sighed before turning to them. “Pleased to meet you,” she said. “I’m Grace Skyfall, Mishal’s mother. You are welcome to stay here as long as you need. Any friends of Jared’s and Will’s are welcome here.”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Ashe said. “If there’s any way we can repay you for your kindness, just let us know.”

“Oh, no need,” Grace waved his words aside. “I’m just so happy to see the boys again, alive and well.” Grace then clapped her hands together. “Well, I was just about to start lunch. Mishal? Mind lending me a hand?”

“Just a moment Mama,” Mishal replied as Grace disappeared back the way she’d came. “Think you guys can last without me for a bit?” Mishal said lowly to the twins.

There was a pause, then Jared whined, “Will, no fair!”

Mishal laughed, following her mother. Jared glared and muttered lowly in Otosa to Will, who just smirked.

“Well,” Jared said, turning back to the rest of them. “It’ll likely be a little tight for sleeping arrangements. Will and I can take the floor in Mishal’s room.”

Finn wiggled his eyebrows, but knew better than to do any further teasing at this time. Jared gave him a quick glare.

“And there’s a spare bedroom with two beds.” Finn wondered if Grace had been prepared for the possibility that Jared and Will would return.

“Rose can take one of the beds,” Ashe immediately decided. Rose glared at Ashe, obviously irritated that he was treating her like some delicate princess, but Finn also knew Rose well, and she didn’t speak up to contest the claim.

Finn glanced at Ashe and Celia. “You two fight over the second bed,” he said evenly. “I’m fine on the floor.”

Ashe gestured at Celia, who blushed a little, but nodded.

“Alright,” Jared said. “Let’s get settled then, and then we can see about helping out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shit, I kinda got caught up to where I'm writing now. The next two chapters are both halfway/mostly done, it's just a matter of figuring out where I'm going (with the next one) and how to end it (the one after). Rip me lol


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently I just needed to swap albums from _Wake Up, Sunshine_ (which is still wonderful and such an inspiration just not for this lol) to _How It Feels to Be Lost_ lol (at least, it helped me start writing the next chapter again lol)

Aiden must have dozed off again, because the next thing he knew, something wet was pushing against his nose. Aiden opened his eyes to find blue and gold eyes staring back at him. The baby dragon chirped softly, obviously pleased he was awake again. Aiden ran a finger down her back, and she let out a sound very similar to a purr.

“You have the same heterochromia as me,” Aiden murmured. He had no idea if the little dragon understood him, but she was definitely enjoying the petting. Her eyes were slowly closing, and Aiden could only see the gold centers of the iris left. “Aren’t you cozy.”

Aiden was startled by laughter, and the little dragon grumbled as he jumped.

“I’m not surprised,” Io said. “After all, you two are bonded.”

“What exactly does that mean?” Aiden asked, sitting up despite the baby dragon’s grumblings. Aiden cradled her in his arms and continued petting her, and soon the noise changed back to the content little purrs. “And why?”

“Why is a very good question, sweet prince,” Io said. “But for some reason, the little one chose to hatch for you, which means you two are bonded now.”

“And that means?”

“I couldn’t tell you for sure,” Io shrugged. “By the time I met the dragons, they had been separated from humans for centuries already.”

_Your lives, magic, and souls are now entwined._

Aiden started, noticing Loivissa in the shadows. “I—but—”

 _Don’t worry_. Loivissa sounded quietly amused. _Dragons have a similar lifespan to humans. She will not outlive you by centuries._

Io raised an eyebrow at Loivissa. “Centuries?”

 _I am well aware of the rumors about our kind_ , Loivissa replied.

“But why _me_?” Aiden asked.

 _She chose you when you touched her egg,_ Loivissa replied. _I do not know why. I doubt even she knows._

Aiden looked down at the content little dragon in his arms. “You have no idea what you’re getting into,” he murmured to her. The baby dragon just cuddled closer.

_When Io returns you to your people, she will go with you, of course._

Aiden’s attention snapped back to Loivissa. “Wait, what?”

 _After all, she is yours, and you are hers_.

“Wait, I don’t—I have no idea how to take care of a baby dragon, and—oh god she’ll be in danger from Maddox and—” Loivissa laughed, and Aiden cut off his frantic rambling.

 _Hatchlings are not nearly as fragile as human young,_ she explained. _And I will make sure she has all the knowledge she needs from me before she leaves._

“I—” Aiden held the baby dragon close, taking a deep breath. “What if I can’t protect her?”

 _You may find she’ll be the one protecting you, before long_. Loivissa sounded amused.

Aiden sighed. Loivissa knew more than him, she was likely right, but Aiden couldn’t shake the fear that something might happen to the little dragon and he’d be helpless to help her. Not to mention…

“What about—” Aiden cut himself off.

_What about what?_

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Aiden’s mind had been made up long ago, he thought as he ran a finger down the baby dragon’s spine. But making the decision didn’t mean he’d quite come to terms with never going home again, and it certainly didn’t mean he didn’t doubt his decision every other minute.

“What’s her name?” Aiden asked, deliberately changing the subject.

Io’s golden eyes watched Aiden, and Aiden had the sinking feeling Io knew exactly what had been going through his mind. 

Loivissa took the new subject without complaint though. _She doesn’t have a name yet. As her bonded, that task falls to you._

“Oh no,” Aiden groaned. “I’m _terrible_ at coming up with names.”

“Good luck.” Io was _smirking_.

Aiden shot Io a glare before turning his gaze back to the baby dragon. “Any input on your name?” he asked her. She gave no answer other than purring.

The firelight reflected from her scales, the silver twinkling like stars while the red glowed like embers. Aiden was admittedly terrible at coming up with names, and his naming conventions were forever influenced by books he’d read, but once the name popped into his head, it refused to leave.

“How about Starfire?”

The baby dragon looked up at him and chirped.

“That doesn’t sound like a no, so I’ll take it.”

Starfire settled in his arms again, practically radiating contentment. And Aiden knew that, no matter how hard it would be to leave everything he had known behind to stay in Astral, it would be worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... yes that's a Warrior Cats reference when naming Starfire. Yes, I will give characters distinctly Warrior Cats-esque names. No, I refuse to stop lol
> 
> We'll see how long it takes for me to fix the ending of the next chapter. And then after that... phew. Who knows lol


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, we're all over the place here, and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it, but here we are finally lol

Will was woken by Mishal tripping over him with a squawk. Out of pure instinct, Will drew his knife and pinned Mishal to the ground, holding the blade to her throat before he even registered who it was.

“ _Dude!_ ” Mishal yelped.

Will blinked, his brain finally catching up with the rest of his body. _Oops?_ He let Mishal go with an apologetic grin.

“ _I thought you were a pacifist!_ ” Mishal sat up, rubbing at her shoulder. She must have hit it at some point.

 _I try_. Will sheathed his knife again. _But sometimes I don’t have a choice._

Mishal sighed, glancing around. “ _Where’s Jared?_ ”

Will had a vague memory of Jared leaving in the morning, and of Finn coming to look for him, but he couldn’t remember if Jared had said anything about where he was going.

 _Dunno._ Will stood and stretched. _Wanna come look for him?_

“ _Sure_.” Mishal climbed to her feet, playfully swatting aside Will’s hand as he offered to help her up.

The two made their way to the kitchen, where they found Grace and Ashe awake.

Grace glanced over at their entrance. “ _Everything alright?_ ” she asked.

“ _Yes Mama,_ ” Mishal reassured her. “ _Just tripped and fell, that’s all_.”

 _Jared and Finn not back yet then?_ Will asked Ashe.

“I don’t know why you’re asking,” Ashe said dryly.

 _Confirmation is always nice_. Will rounded the corner to snag his coat and shoes.

Mishal followed him. “ _Mama, we’re going out to look for Jared_.”

“ _Alright dear_ ,” Grace responded.

“If they’re out training, leave them be,” Ashe said to Will. “But do remind Jared I would rather he not wander off without telling anybody again.”

Will sighed. _We’re safe here_ , he said pointedly. _But I’ll pass along the message._ Ashe nodded, and Will took that as his cue to escape to the outside.

The cold took his breath away for a moment, and Will mused that he had forgotten just how bitterly cold it was during the winters in the mountains. Mishal laughed as he shivered and wrapped his scarf tighter around his face.

Jared and Finn’s tracks were clear for a while, plus Will could always find Jared if he was close enough, so following the pair was easy business. Mishal called out greetings to the handful of people they passed, and Will didn’t miss how they regarded him warily. He didn’t blame them though. Strangers in the mountains had never been warmly welcomed, and once Maddox took over it only got worse.

Mishal glanced at Will. “ _You’re quiet._ ” Will gave her a deadpan stare, and she glowered back. “ _You know exactly what I mean Will Makrides_.”

 _Fine, yeah._ Will took a deep breath. _It’s a little strange, being back after all these years._

“ _And if they knew you were from Malthea, they wouldn’t look at you like a stranger,_ ” Mishal said. “ _You’re a part of the mountains Will._ ”

Will just hummed in absent agreement. He had suspected Mishal’s motivations even before now, and he also knew how stubborn his childhood friend was.

“ _What are they doing?_ ” Mishal wondered, half laughing. Will followed her gaze to see a group of kids, no older than ten or eleven, whispering amongst themselves, peering over a snowbank. Will could hear the clash of metal now, and sped up his pace.

Around the snowbank, protected by an overhanging ledge, were Finn and Jared. Both had stripped their coats, and Will hurried gratefully within range of the warming charms he knew Jared must have set up. After all, Jared had developed a deep-seated aversion to the cold after they’d left, and Will had known he wouldn’t willingly take off his coat otherwise.

Jared and Finn circled each other warily, then Jared struck out with one of his daggers. Finn blocked the blow with his shield, twisting out of the way of the second dagger. They knew each other’s fighting styles too well by now for either to gain the upper hand in one of their spars.

Mishal caught up to Will right as Finn swung his sword, and she gasped, crying out Jared’s name. Jared easily stepped aside and deflected Finn’s sword with another ringing clash.

“Will.”

 _I’d like to minimize my own bruises, thanks_.

Will knew that wasn’t what Jared was getting at, but Finn laughed, his sword flicking out for another easily-avoided shot. But as the pair circled around, Will could see the dark circles under Jared’s eyes.

“He’s okay?” Jared spun away from Finn’s sword, lashing out with a dagger, but Finn danced out of reach.

_He is. I wouldn’t lie to you._

“I know. I wasn’t accusing you of lying to me.”

_He’s alright. He’s alive and safe._

Finn glanced at Will, and when he spoke, his voice was quiet and serious. “Aiden.”

Will nodded. Finn turned back to Jared, bringing up his sword to block a dagger while the other was deflected with his shield. “That’s what this is about?” he asked.

Jared held their position for a moment. “Kind of.” He disengaged, and they went back to circling each other. “Partially.”

Will found a nearby good-sized boulder, and hopped up to sit down, taking off his coat and scarf as he went. Jared certainly made sure the warming charms were strong.

Jared huffed, striking out again. Finn easily deflected the blow.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Jared muttered.

“Like what?”

“Don’t play like that.”

Metal rang out as Jared deflected Finn’s sword with his daggers.

“Fine then.” Finn blocked Jared’s dagger with his shield before sweeping his leg out to try and trip Jared. “Talk.”

Jared leapt back with a little yelp, obviously startled at the sudden dirty turn their sparring had taken. He shook his head, quickly focusing back on Finn in time to avoid the blond’s next strike. He spun around, daggers flashing in the weak sunlight, but Finn was ready for the retaliation and easily blocked him.

“You have no idea,” he finally huffed, “how hard I had to argue with Ashe to convince him letting me and Will take the lead in the mountains was a good idea. But it’s only when I’m leading that Aiden falls and we basically think he’s dead except for Will’s star-sight, and Ashe keeps fighting me over whether we should stay in Althaan despite the fact that we _know_ Fionn is only going to get _worse_ , and I hate this stupid cold!” He lashed out again, and this time Finn staggered back a half step under the force of the blow.

Jared paused, then took a few steps back. Finn straightened up, but didn’t make a move to continue their spar.

During the whole conversation, Mishal had been looking between the pair and Will, confusion written in her face. Will decided to finally speak on her behalf. _Hey Jared, your translation spell. Mishal doesn’t understand you_.

“She doesn’t need to understand!” Will was taken aback by the venom in Jared’s voice as he whirled around to face Will. “This doesn’t concern her,” Jared continued in a low hiss. “Not in the grand scheme of things. Not unless she decides to join us, join the resistance.”

_She could._

Jared laughed, the sound humorless. “Tell me if you believe that,” he said. “You know her at least as well as I do, tell me if that _sounds_ like her.”

Will narrowed his eyes slightly at his twin. _Jared._

Jared cursed, carelessly tossing aside his daggers as he turned away from Will and started to pace. “I wish we never came here.”

_You know we had to._

“I _know_ Will, that’s why I never argued against it, but I wish we didn’t have to!” Jared paused, his breathing shaky. “I wish we didn’t have to,” he repeated.

Finn sheathed his sword. “Nobody blames you Jared,” he said lowly. “Rose doesn’t blame you.”

“I know.” But guilt was a strange thing, and Jared had always carried it heavily.

Jared sighed, then quickly snatched his daggers up from the snow. “Again?”

Finn hesitated. “Jared—”

“Please Finn,” Jared said. “Just, one more round, then we can go inside and get breakfast.”

Finn glanced at Will. For all the time that they spent together, it was still Will who knew Jared best.

Will shrugged. _First, do the translation spell,_ he said reproachfully. _And apologize._

“But it really doesn’t concern her Will.”

 _But it’s rude_.

Jared sighed, the fight going out of him. “Fine.” He snapped his fingers. “Sorry,” he apologized to Mishal.

“ _What was that about?_ ” Mishal asked.

“Just… talking stuff out.” Jared turned back to Finn. With once last glance at Will, Finn nodded and drew his sword again.

Mishal hissed. “ _Jared—_ ”

“It’s fine Mishal.” Jared’s tone was short. “We know what we’re doing. And anyways.” He rolled up his sleeve and cut across his arm with his dagger. Mishal hissed again, but the blade left no mark. “We can’t hurt each other. Not any worse than a couple of bruises at least.”

 _You saw them earlier,_ Will said. _They really won’t hurt each other._

Mishal sighed, but she pulled herself up to sit next to Will. “ _Doesn’t mean I like it_.” But Jared had already turned back to Finn and made no sign of hearing her.

 _I know_. Finn made the first move, and Jared easily blocked his blow with a clash. _But this is his choice Mishal. Our choice._

“ _Not now Will._ ” Mishal glanced around, at the children still sneaking peeks at the spar and failing to stay as hidden as they wanted to.

 _Okay_. Will wasn’t one to push issues unless he had to. But he knew with the way Mishal was watching Jared, that it would definitely come up sooner rather than later.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm still alive and working on this! Weird, I know, right?  
> Anywho, so inspiration finally hit again, so I was going through and planning out the rest of the Dragon Ridge when I realized that I've uh, actually had this chapter done for a long time. Like, before the previous chapters were finished kinda deal. I just didn't know where exactly it was going to go. But now I have it (at least mostly) planned out how we're ending this segment, so here we go! To the finish!!  
> (Final number of chapters subject to change, but should be in that range +-one or two lol)

_The sun was setting over the horizon, painting the sky and sea in vivid orange and red. Aiden’s legs dangled over the side of the cliff as he watched the sunset, occasionally glancing down at swinging feet. He hesitated, then reached out and hooked his ankle around James’s._

_James laughed. “Why am I not surprised?” He swung both their feet out._

_“Because you’ve corrupted me, and that’s something you would do.”_

_“_ _Oh have I?” James’s mismatched eyes sparkled with amusement._

_“Vanderson,” Aiden deadpanned. “Getting me into lockpicking.”_

_“I just nudged you along the path of revenge there Aid, c’mon.” But James was smirking as he put his hand over Aiden’s._

_“Sure. Whatever keeps you happy.” Aiden looked back out over the water. “So where are we now?”_

_James glanced around. “Good question. I only know what happened here.”_

_“Which is?”_

_James’s response was to stand, holding out a hand to Aiden. Aiden took it, letting James help him to his feet._

_As James led him away from the cliff, Aiden heard branches snapping and something snarling coming from the nearby woods. “James—”_

_“They can’t hurt us.” James stopped, then maneuvered Aiden in front of him and wrapped his arms around Aiden’s waist. “Trust me?”_

_“Of course I do.” Aiden leaned back into James, and James pressed a kiss to his cheek, resting his chin on Aiden’s shoulder._

_With a crash, a boy appeared from the forest. Aiden’s breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t be any older than seven or eight, looking around with wild dark grey eyes that looked strangely familiar._

_“That’s Tom,” James murmured in Aiden’s ear._

_“Who’s Tom?”_

_James didn’t answer._

_There was a scream, and Tom whirled around. “James!” he yelled._

_From another point came a second boy, this one achingly familiar as he ran into Tom’s arms. “Tom,” a younger James cried, “they’re coming, they were after me, they almost had me—” He cut off, sobs wracking his body._

_James tightened his grip on Aiden, almost like he knew how Aiden wanted to comfort this younger version of him._

_“It’s gonna be okay James,” Tom was soothing the young James. “I’m here now, we’re gonna be alright.”_

_Young James whimpered, clutching at one of his arms, and Aiden thought it looked suspiciously like it was broken._

_Tom glanced down his eyes widening. “Oh no,” he whispered. “Hey, it’s okay, we’ll find somebody to help you, I promise.”_

_From the woods emerged the creatures pursuing the boys, wolf-like except for the unnaturally long limbs and the shadows that dripped from them, hissing in the dying sunlight. Tom pushed young James behind him, slowly backing away._

_The creatures spread out, slowly circling the boys, trapping them. Aiden shivered as one passed close enough for him to touch._

_“You know, it’s funny.” James wasn’t looking at Aiden, instead watching his younger self and Tom. “But I didn’t remember any of this until now. And I’ll forget again when I wake up.”_

_“Why?” Aiden asked. If not for James’s presence here, Aiden would be scared for how this would end. As it was, his chest was tight as the creatures snapped at the boys._

_“Because I wanted to forget.”_

_Young James and Tom were backed up to the edge of the cliff now._

_“It scared me.”_

_Young James reached out with his good arm, and Tom took his hand._

_“So I did everything I could to forget it.”_

_Young James’s foot slipped, and he fell with a cry, dragging Tom down with him._

_Aiden couldn’t help his own cry, breaking James’s grip as he rushed for the spot where the two boys had fallen. But below the cliff, rather than his worst fear, he instead found a portal, shimmering darkly in the sun before it vanished with a pop._

_“And I did.” James was at Aiden’s side again, watching as the creatures hissed and slunk back into the dark trees. “I forgot all about Astral.”_

_“But Astral never forgot you.”_

_“Can’t imagine why it didn’t,” James snorted, resuming his spot sitting at the edge of the cliff. “Not like I did much, besides being scared out of my wits.”_

_“It never forgets.” Aiden sat next to James, just barely touching again._

_“Yeah.” James laced their fingers together. “Especially if you decide to stay.”_

_Aiden started. “James—”_

_His words were cut off as James kissed him. “Who has your heart Aiden?” he murmured. “Me, or Astral?”_

_Aiden grabbed James’s shirt with his free hand, desperate to keep James here with him. “Both.”_

_James hummed. “I can live with that.”_

_Aiden pulled James into another kiss, desperate to tell him everything he couldn’t find the words for._

_“I love you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't the first time James has appeared in Aiden's dreams, or vice versa. The only pressing information from those previous dreams is that, as you could probably guess, James has actually been to Astral before, when he was young. All of their dreams together take place in places James subconsciously remembers from Astral.


End file.
